2026 Sacred Rhythms Newsletter Series
Definitions to use with Sacred Rhythms
Week 2-May 3, 2026-What is work?
Week 3 – May 10, 2026 – What is Rest?
Introduction – Week 1: April 26, 2026
An Invitation to Intentionality We’ve all been there: Another week ends and you realize that yet again you’re “skimming” your life rather than actually living it. Perhaps you move from the frantic pace of the work week into a blur of weekend errands and Netflix, finding yourself back at the next Monday morning just as exhausted as the prior week.
The Faith Formation committee is offering a 31-week newsletter journey called Sacred Rhythms. Our goal isn’t to give you a longer to-do list; it’s to help you find the Work and Rest God intends for you among what you are already doing. Consider this article series a weekly invitation to shift from skimming to living with the intentionality of a co-creator.
Over the next seven months, we will journey through the biblical landscape of human activity. We will begin by redefining Work and Rest, casting off the world’s narrow definitions of “drudgery” and “escape.” We will then discover how the Shema empowers us to bring our full selves to our daily tasks. We’ll identify the thorns and thistles of toil that so often deplete us. We’ll put a special focus on leisure—commodified respite that often numbs us rather than heals us. Finally, we will learn the art of Sabbath Rest, shifting from the passive consumption of leisure to the active, joyful reveling in the fruitful transformation of the world.
Scripture for Reflection: “Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:15-16, NRSV)
Reflection Question: If you had to describe the tempo of your life right now—frantic, sluggish, aimless, overflowing, rhythmic, or chaotic—which word would you choose and why?
Practice: The Tempo Audit Once a day this week, stop for 60 seconds and simply notice your internal “speed.” Just notice the pace without judgment.
Week 2 May 3, 2006
2026 Sacred Rhythms Newsletter Series
Phase 1: Foundations
Fruitful Transformation: When we think of work, we often think of a paycheck or a job
title. But for the Christian, Work is much broader. Author Andy Crouch defines Work as:
“The fruitful transformation of the world through attention, memory, and skill by
applying heart, mind, soul, and strength.” This definition includes everyone. If you are a student, your Work is the transformation of information into wisdom. If you are retired, your Work might be the transformation of a messy garden into a place of beauty or a lonely neighbor’s afternoon into a time of connection. Work is the fruitful furthering of creation. You are a co-creator with God, taking the garden He gave you and adding to the “very good.”
Scripture for Reflection: “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden
of Eden to work it and keep it.” (Genesis 2:15, ESV)
Reflection Question: Think of one small thing you ordered or tended this week. How did
that act make your corner of the world a little more like the original Garden?
Weekly Practice: Name the Fruit Before you finish your final task of the day, identify
one specific thing you transformed from chaos to order. Say it out loud: “I transformed
this yarn into a gift for my grandchild,” or “I transformed this complex problem into a
solution for my team.”
Week 3 – May 10, 2026 – What is Rest?
Glad Contemplation: If God doesn’t have a physical body that needs sleep, why does the
Bible say God rested on the seventh day?The fact that God rests suggests that biblical
Rest isn’t just about recharging a battery. In Genesis, God looks at everything He made,
sees that it is “very good,” and stops to enjoy it. Rest is about reveling in goodness. Andy
Crouch defines Rest as “the glad contemplation of Work well done.”Rest is the pause
that allows us to actually see the fruit of our labor. Whether it’s a career milestone or a
clean kitchen, Rest is a spiritual feast where we acknowledge that the world is held togetherby God’s grace, not our own frantic effort.
Scripture for Reflection: “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good… So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because
on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.” (Genesis 1:31–
2:3, NRSV)
Reflection Question: When was the last time you stopped to simply look at something
you accomplished—no matter how small—and said, “This is good,” without immediately
moving to the next task?
Weekly Practice: The 30-Second Behold After you complete a task this week, stand in
the doorway or sit in your chair for 30 seconds. Do not pick up your phone or start the
next chore. Simply look at the finished work and acknowledge its goodnes